variants
or libelling
as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the underhanded politician resorted to libeling when it became clear that that was the only way he was going to win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or libelling
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the court decided that the newspaper's reportage of the former mayor, while irresponsible, did not constitute an effort to libel him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for libeling
Noun
-
The stylist initially apologized in a comment on Exeter’s video, but tensions escalated when Exeter later shared a private message from Jessica, who allegedly alluded to taking legal action for libel.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026 -
Weinberg denied the allegations and sued both women for libel and slander.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This dedication centers Sophie and Benedict’s second meet-cute, when the two cross paths at a country house where Benedict is attending a party and where Sophie is now working, after being unable to find a position in London thanks to her stepmother smearing her reputation.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anti-SLAPP laws are generally used to prevent people from using expensive defamation suits to target or punish others for their speech.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The actress, 39, is featured in Silenced, which centers around the weaponization of defamation laws against abuse survivors.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shocking lies Within hours, the administration was slandering her.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
17 Jan. 2026
-
And then the media was slandering our dad’s name and reputation after a lifetime of being a fairly wholesome guy.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Among election delusion peddlers, Oltmann has distinguished himself by calling for violence and defaming innocent people.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Weeks after the initial complaint was filed in May, Robinson filed a $500 million cross-complaint that accused the plaintiffs and their legal counsel of defaming him at a press conference.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Defense attorneys have also decried violations of fair-trial rights, saying that the prosecutor in the cases has sought to influence the jury pool by maligning those charged.—
LAUREN CARASIK,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2017
Verb
-
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Newsom has manifested this weird love-hate relationship with oil, craving it in the short-term to keep California running while vilifying its manufacturers as the architects of our climate change crisis.—
Tom Philp,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
With his trademark military fatigues, slender Cohiba cigars, and marathon speeches vilifying Uncle Sam, Castro captured the imaginations of aspiring revolutionaries and millions of others around the world.—
Brian Winter,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Libeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/libeling. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
